Empirical and mechanistic foundations for synergistic predictive processing in the sensory brain

Introduction

Humans effortlessly process over 200 spoken words per minute in casual conversation. Speech recognition algorithms still fail at this challenging task. Our superior performance stems from our capacity to predict what the speaker may say next. Understanding how the brain uses these predictions to process sensory input is crucial to understanding perceptual function and dysfunction. Dyslexia, autism, and psychosis have all been linked to an impaired handling of predictions.

Hierarchical Predictive Coding

Hierarchical predictive coding (HPC) is the current leading framework to understand how predictions help us process sensory inputs. However, HPC is only compatible with the function and organization of the cerebral cortex. This is a decisive shortcoming:

• While only cortical stages have the foresight to perform conceptually accurate predictions,
• Only subcortical stations have the temporal properties required to correctly process fast sensory inputs.

Project Overview

SynPrePro will reformulate HPC as an integrated theory explaining how cortical and subcortical stages work together to proficiently process fast and complex sensory inputs like speech.

Methodology

I will use a unique experimental-theoretical approach to study the human auditory pathway as a model for sensory pathways in four work packages (WPs):

1. WP1: Use cutting-edge human neuroimaging to unravel the implementation of HPC in the auditory pathway.
2. WP2: Use innovative model-based neuroimaging to identify the mechanisms responsible for the generation of conceptually accurate and temporally precise predictions.
3. WP3: Develop a ground-breaking computational model to identify the neural mechanisms implementing HPC in the thalamocortical loop.
4. WP4: Use big-data analytics to disentangle how cortical and subcortical stages work together to swiftly process speech.

Expected Outcomes

The outcomes will turn the cortical paradigm of HPC into an integrated theory of cortico-subcortical interactions, revolutionizing our understanding of perceptual function and dysfunction.